The community of Brighton & Hove is something we’re pretty proud of, especially when it comes to supporting each other and raising funds for worthwhile projects. We’ve picked some of the great funding initiatives happening in the city right now, so you know where and how any spare cash you have can help.
Bounce baby bounce
If you’ve seen the new-look terrace at Patterns, then you’ll be familiar with the style of local artist Lois O’Hara‘s work. She’s leading a crowd-funding campaign to bring the first-ever basketball art court to the UK, raising funds for an art mural to feature on the court at Saunders Park on Lewes Road. In collaboration with Project Backboard, ONCA and Venice Ball, Lois has made some brightly coloured basketballs that donors will receive when pledging £40 and vibrant T-shirts for those donating £25.
100% of profits raised will go towards paint costs for this project, bringing a newly transformed space to the area for local residents, children and players to come and use for free. The surrounding area is being renovated by Brighton & Hove Council, so with the funds raised to help add a ‘Lois’ touch to the space, the artwork will bring joy and positivity to the local community. Get your hands on a match-standard ball and know you’re supporting a UK first initiative.
They are campaigning to reach a fundraising goal of £1,000.
Go Fund Me
Crossing borders festival
This month, music and arts festival Crossing Borders Festival kicks off in Brighton & Hove. Celebrating 20 years of Refugee Week, which runs from 18th – 24th June, the festival celebrates refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants through their music and art, past and present. With a series of refugee-themed concerts planned and a grand finale event at Brighton Dome and Brighton Museum on 24th June called Together, they are looking for support to help them bring the best to this year’s festival.
Their free public event will be a day of art, music and theatre workshops, book readings, board games, dance and table tennis, with a parade led by the Hummingbird Project in collaboration with Same Sky. Here’s your chance to help fund a diverse range of workshops from puppet making to West African drumming. If they manage to raise their target, they will be able to provide all of their chosen workshops, pay for venue hire and cover the travel expenses of refugees and asylum seekers so more of them can take part in the events. Anything left over will go to the work of Sanctuary on Sea, the organisation that engages all communities in promoting the inclusion, welfare and safety of everyone who comes from abroad, is vulnerable and needs sanctuary in the city, with a particular focus on refugees and asylum seekers. Grab yourself a couple of tickets to the festival and help make it happen.
They are campaigning to reach a fundraising goal of £4,000 by Sunday 17th June.
Chuffed.org
Ping Pong Power
Who knew a game of table tennis could do so much to bring a community together? Founders of the Brighton Table Tennis Club (BTTC), Tim Holtam and Harry McCarney, that’s who. Both former top-10 England Juniors, they founded BTTC in February 2007 with two worn-out tables in the Brighton Youth Centre. Following their belief that table tennis can be used as a powerful tool to engage people of all ages, not to mention to transform lives, we’ve been pretty impressed with everything they’ve done to date.
We love that BTTC works with people of all ages, especially young people, to help improve their health, celebrate diversity and build a stronger community. More of this, please! You can help fund sessions for young people of all ages and backgrounds, those aged 50+, adults with learning disabilities and children in care by donating any spare cash you have. With a £10 donation, they’ll be able to pay for a beginners’ table tennis bat and £30 will buy a club kit for 10 children from low-income households. This is definitely a project we’re getting behind.
Donate funds to BTTC
Serving up some Brighton Soup
If you’ve ever had an idea for something that could help the community, but no money to fund it, then Brighton Soup could be just the meal ticket you’re looking for. They hold Dragon’s Den-style events where anyone can come and pitch their idea to a room of people. They’ll even provide training and support through the whole process, so you don’t need to be an experienced presenter. Following your pitch, the crowd votes and if enough people are interested and excited by your idea (which has to benefit the people of Brighton & Hove), then your project will bag the ticket money. It’s as simple as that. It’s a win-win opportunity, because even if you don’t get the funds on the night, you’ll meet some amazing people that could offer to support you through the next step of making your idea a reality. Get a ticket to their next event in July and give it a go – soup included!
Friday 6th July, 6pm doors for 7pm start; £4
St George’s Church Hall, Court Farm Rd, Hove BN3 7QR
brightonsoup.org
Pay as you feel
The Real Junk Food Project is known in the city for doing great things with food waste, so we were chuffed to hear they opened Brighton & Hove’s first ‘pay as you feel’ surplus food hub last month. You can head down there to buy out of date or damaged produce that has been donated by local shops, supermarkets and wholesalers. Now this, we are huge fans of. They know what they’re doing, too, as they already run three cafés in the city, turning wasted food into delicious meals for the community and feeding up to 2,000 people a month. You can visit, volunteer or donate to support their great work.
13 Leybourne Parade, Bevendean, Brighton BN2 4LW
realjunkfoodproject.co.uk
Photo credits: studio85uk.com (Featured image), Alexis Maryon (Ping Pong Power), The Real Junk Food Project (Pay as you feel)
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